Gomphrena plant named &#39;sakgom003&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  Gomphrena  plant particularly distinguished by having a white flowers and a spreading plant growth habit, is disclosed.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Gomphrena globosa

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘SAKGOM003’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises of a new and distinct variety ofGomphrena, botanically known as Gomphrena globosa, and referred to bythe variety name ‘SAKGOM003’. ‘SAKGOM003’ originated from a controlledcross in July 1998 in Misato, Japan between the proprietary femaleGomphera breeding line ‘95G-11A-6E-1’ (unpatented) having white flowersand a semi-creeping plant growth habit and the proprietary male Gompherabreeding line ‘95G-11A-2A-3’ (unpatented) having magenta flowers and asemi-creeping plant growth habit. Thirty F₁ seeds were obtained andevaluated from the original cross.

In April 1999, the thirty F₁ seeds were sowed and three plants werecultivated. In July 1999, three plants were then chosen having a purpleflower color. Between July 1999 and February 2009, seeds from the threechosen plants were cross-pollinated and seeds were obtained. In February2009, 2000 seeds were sowed and 1000 plants were cultivated based onwhether plants had purple flowers, purple flowers with white tips, andwhite flowers and whether plants had an upright plant growth habit or aspreading plant growth habit. In April 2009, a single plant was selectedfrom this group having white flowers and a spreading plant growth habit.

From May 2009 to December 2009, the selection was evaluated in an openfield in Misato, Japan. Vegetative cuttings of the variety were thenshipped to Salinas, Calif., where the plants were regenerated andreevaluated for stability of traits. The selection subsequently wasnamed ‘SAKGOM003’ and was found to have its unique characteristicsreproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagationvia vegetative cuttings.

SUMMARY

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new variety when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Salinas, Calif.

-   1. White flowers; and-   2. A spreading plant growth habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This Gomphrena plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographswhich show the plant's overall plant habit including form, foliage, andflowers. The photographs are of plants grown about two-months-old inSalinas, Calif. under greenhouse conditions in the spring of 2013. Thecolors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventionalphotographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the mature flowers of the plant.

FIG. 2 shows the overall plant habit of the plant grown in a pot.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘SAKGOM003’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inSalinas, Calif. Data was collected on two-month-old plants undergreenhouse conditions in Salinas, Calif. in the summer of 2013. Colorreferences are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety of London (R.H.S.), 4^(th) edition (2001).

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Amaranthaceae.        -   Botanical.—Gomphrena globosa.        -   Common.—Globe amaranth.        -   Designation.—‘SAKGOM003’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Gomphrena line ‘95G-11A-6E-1’            (unpatented).        -   Male parent.—Proprietary Gomphrena line ‘95G-11A-2A-3’            (unpatented).-   Growth:    -   -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—2 weeks        -   Environmental conditions for plant growth.—The terminal 1.0            to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The            vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks.            The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a            1:9 solution of DIP 'N GROW (1 solution:9 water), a root            inducing solution, immediately prior to sticking into the            cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic cell trays            having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-based            growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from            overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient            roots were formed. Rooted cuttings were transplanted and            grown in 20 cm plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in            Salinas, Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing            medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10%            phosphorus and 20% potassium was applied once a day or every            other day by overhead irrigation. Pots were top-dressed with            a dry, slow release fertilizer containing 14% nitrogen, 14%            phosphorus and 14% potassium. The typical average air            temperature was 24° C.        -   Time to bloom from propagation.—6 to 8 weeks.-   Plant description:    -   -   Habit.—Spreading, upright, freely branching.        -   Form.—Prostrate.        -   Life cycle.—Annual.        -   Height (from soil line to top of foliage).—24.0 cm; 1.0 cm            from soil line to first node.        -   Spread.—45.0 cm.        -   Flowering requirements.—Spring to fall, will flower year            round at temperatures of 24 to 35° C.-   Stems:    -   -   Description.—Dull, circular in cross section.        -   Quantity.—Numerous.        -   Stem length.—12.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Internode length.—6.0 cm.        -   Color.—RHS 138A (Green) with RHS N79A (Purple).        -   Pubescence.—Heavy, long, hair-like, RHS N155A (White).        -   Anthocyanin color.—RHS N79A (Red-Purple).-   Branches:    -   -   Quantity.—3 main.        -   Description.—Dull, circular in cross-section.        -   Color.—RHS 138A (Green) with RHS N79A (Purple).        -   Anthocyanin.—RHS N79A (Red-Purple).        -   Pubescence.—Heavy, long, hair-like, RHS N155A (White).        -   Length.—6.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.3 cm.        -   Internode length.—3.0 cm.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Decurrant.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Surface pubescence (both surfaces?).—Dull, moderately            pubescent RHS N155A (White).        -   Length.—6.0 cm.        -   Width.—2.2 cm.        -   Color.—Upper surface: RHS 147A (Yellow-Green) Lower surface:            RHS 147B (Yellow-Green).        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type and appearance.—Small, globose-shaped bracts; small            flat flowers arranged. in dense, globose, papery textured            clover-live flower heads, flowers are upright. and outwardly            facing; flowers are sessile with a single two-parted            perianth; inflorescence heads are subtended by two small            flower bracts.        -   Total number of flowers per plant.—Approximately 150.        -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—80 to 100.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—Approximately            4 weeks.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.        -   Inflorescence height.—2.0 cm.        -   Inflorescence depth.—1.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence color.—RHS 157A (Green-white).        -   Flower height.—0.7 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—0.3 cm.        -   Sepals.—None observed.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Surface texture.—Dull, glabrous.        -   Length.—0.9 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Color.—RHS 157A (Green-white).-   Bracts:    -   -   Quantity.—2.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Length.—0.6 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Texture.—Dull, glabrous.        -   Color.—RHS 157A (Green-white).-   Peduncle:    -   -   Length.—6.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Angle.—Mostly upright to 40° vertical.        -   Strength.—Strong, moderately.        -   Color.—RHS 138A (Green).        -   Surface texture and appearance.—Dull, moderate pubescence,            RHS N155A (White).-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamen number.—5 per flower.        -   Stamen color.—RHS N155A (White).        -   Stamen length.—0.4 cm.        -   Filament length.—0.3 cm.        -   Filament color.—RHS 143A (Green).        -   Anther length.—0.5 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 155A (White).        -   Pollen color.—RHS 155A (White).        -   Pollen amount.—Sparse.        -   Ovary diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Ovary surface color.—RHS 143A (Yellow-green).        -   Pistil number.—1 per inflorescence.        -   Pistil length.—0.6 cm.        -   Stigma shape.—Bi-parted.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 157A (Green-white).        -   Style length.—0.5 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 157A (Green-white).        -   Seed production.—Absent.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.-   Disease and insect resistance: No unusual susceptibility or    resistance to diseases or insects has been observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN VARIETY

‘SAKGOM003’ is a new and unique variety of Gomphrena owing to its whiteflower color and spreading plant growth habit. ‘SAKGOM003’ isdistinguished from its parents mainly by flower color and habit as shownin Table 1 below:

TABLE 1 Comparison with Parental Lines Female Parent Male ParentCharacteristic ‘SAKGOM003’ ‘95G-11A-6E-1’ ‘95G-11A-2A-3’ Flower colorWhite White Magenta Habit Spreading Semi-creeping Semi-creeping

‘SAKGOM003’ is a new and unique variety of Gomphrena owing to its whiteflowers. When ‘SAKGOM003’ is compared to the commercial Gomphrenavariety ‘Balboa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,263) the difference isdescribed in the table below.

TABLE 2 Comparison with Similar Variety Characteristic ‘SAKGOM003’‘Balboa’ Flower color White Purple

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Gomphrena plant as shown anddescribed herein.